25 years of staying ahead of the curve
As we celebrate 25 years of Cre8 Joinery Solutions, we’ve been reflecting on our journey so far. Here are the five key areas we’ve consistently invested in over the years, which has helped us lay the foundations for future growth.
1. Nurturing our talented team
Our dedicated and passionate team is what makes Cre8 special. That’s why we invest in training across all our colleagues as part of their continued development. Our apprentices and trainees receive hands‑on learning in the workshop and on site. They’re supported by experienced mentors who pass on the knowledge and expertise they’ve built over years of honing their craft.
We work hard to maintain a culture where people feel valued, listened to and supported and a key part of this is mental health and wellbeing with a small team of trained mental health first aiders to offer support to any of our colleagues. We have always treated our colleagues like family and even as we’ve grown, we’ve kept this value close to our hearts. And something’s working – we’re proud of our high retention rate with around 35% of colleagues having worked with us for 10 years or more.
2. Growing our team
We’ve enjoyed well over a decade of year-on-year growth. Our priority has always been to deliver exceptional service to our clients so as demand has increased, we’ve expanded our team to more than 200 colleagues to support our operations and keep pace with business as it continues to evolve.
In the last year alone we’ve employed 6 new team members who all share our drive and passion from designers and joiners to project managers and support roles. Together our team brings the precision and quality of finish we pride ourselves on to every single project we work on.
3. Investing in facilities and equipment
We pride ourselves on manufacturing in-house. We operate from a large technologically advanced 64,000 sq. ft factory and office in Essex and as we rarely outsource, we can control lead times and quality across our projects. Over the years we’ve extended our site which now boasts a spray shop, joinery workshop, and a solid surface fabrication area. We regularly invest in new equipment and machinery to make sure our manufacturing operations run as efficiently as possible while also maximising production capacity. Our commitment to continual investment in our factory means that we’re able to meet our philosophy; to deliver high quality projects on time and to budget.
Another development in recent years is our new mock-up service. For some more complex projects we can produce a complete mock-up in our factory, manufactured to the precise specifications of the proposed design, using the same materials and finishes and are either scaled down or manufactured to the exact size. Our mock-ups give clients the opportunity to review key design elements in precise detail right here in our factory ahead of site installation.
4. Embracing ESG principles
Sustainability is increasingly becoming a driver for our clients as part of their wider ESG targets. We’re committed to our environmental responsibilities and are always looking at ways that we can improve and reduce our impact on the environment, whether that’s through our methods or the materials we use, for example working with FSC® certified timber where required as well as materials manufactured using recycled products.
We’re proud to be able to work to accreditations including WELL, LEED, SKA, BREEAM and PEFC which between them provide the benchmark and standard for non-domestic fit-outs to give our clients peace of mind that we can meet a project’s sustainability targets. Our Constructionline Gold accreditation is testament to our ongoing commitment to the environment, our social value ethos, the quality of our products and the diversity of our workforce. We’re also certified to the SSIP Once for all Health Safety and SafeContractor schemes.
5. Responding to change
Sustainability has been a big driver in recent years, alongside evolving market trends such as the growth of the office fit-out sector, particularly in London. We continue to adapt our services to meet changing demands.
We’re always on the look-out for new materials and methods of manufacturing. And as a manufacturer, we’re very aware of any potential issues with materials shortages and cost increases, which is why our dedicated procurement team works hard to make sure we can deliver, suggesting like-for-like alternatives where necessary so we can always meet project deadlines. Our turnkey fit-out division, WeIntegre8, which we launched a few years ago with our partner company Washroom Washroom to specialise in packaged contractor solutions, continues to go from strength to strength.
Investing in these core areas sets us in a good position for future growth and we’re excited to see what the future holds for us.
